This Much Better - a McRoll in the REAL World story
by Mari217
Summary: A trip to the mall similar to last year, has Catherine reminiscing and looking forward to Christmas.


_Sammy & Ilna - as we approach another REAL World Christmas I am no less honored to have such amazing writers, creative minds and wonderful human beings as my friends._

 _REALMcRollers and Readers - thanks as always for the love you continue to show for REAL Steve & Catherine, it's the best present ever._

* * *

 **This Much Better **

**Ala Moana Mall**

After a few hours of shopping, Grace and Catherine sat in a comfortable booth finishing a hearty lunch of burgers topped off with frozen white hot chocolate for Grace and and peppermint frozen hot chocolate for Catherine.

Grace shifted the baby on her lap as Catherine squeezed some fruit into her little bowl. "Ohh look, Mommy brought you yummy peaches for dessert." The teenager tapped the table when Angie slapped both hands next to the bowl. "Yes! It's all for you, because you finished all your peas and sweet potatoes." She leaned down to make a humming noise and kiss the soft cheek, knowing she'd be rewarded with a giggle. "Yes you did, they're all in your tummy."

"Ahhh eeee!" Was the response as one hand waved up and down and grabbed for the spoon Grace held. "Pretty soon you can do it all by yourself but for today I'm gonna feed you, okay?" She kissed the baby's head and put a spoonful into her open mouth. "Isn't that yummmmy?" She drew out the word and Angie cooed and smiled, making some of the fruit dribble onto her chin.

"Do you want a break from feeding her?"

Catherine grinned as her niece gave Angie another spoon of peaches and she smacked her lips. She definitely took after Steve in her eating habits. While Catherine herself was anything but picky, no one could hold a candle to her husband when it came to devouring whatever he ate from a great steak in a high end restaurant to a handful of tree bark scavenged on a mission. His daughter inherited both his appetite and willingness to try pretty much anything they gave her.

"I can take her back if you want to eat."

"Nope, I can eat one handed. We're good. Right, cuz?" She smiled with exaggeration and Angie grabbed her chin. "You finish having a hot meal, Auntie Cath. Mom always says when I was little it was awesome when she got to eat anything while it was still hot."

Catherine lifted her burger with a nod. "Okay, thanks, sweetie, just let me know if you want to switch."

Grace bit into her own cheeseburger and bounced the little one lightly. "You know, Angie, last year when we were shopping, you finished my frozen white hot chocolate." She shared a smile with Catherine. "You were inside your mommy, but yeah …" she fed her another spoon of peaches. "I couldn't finish and you made mommy soooo hungry she drank the rest of mine." Looking up as she took a sip of the same concoction she added, "you weren't showing yet. I kept waiting for you to pop."

Catherine laughed. "Oh I definitely popped." She blew a kiss at the baby who said, 'ahhh ahhhhhh.' "You got us stuck in a bathtub a few months later, so yeah. Popped. And then some."

When at the end of their meal the waitress stopped by with their check, Grace handed over her phone. "Would you take one of us with the baby sitting next to the frozen hot chocolate mugs, please?"

"Absolutely." Tanya, the waitress who was decked out in reindeer ears, snapped several. "There you go."

Grace thanked her and composed a text, one handed. "I sent Nonna our picture last year. Now she's got one with Angie in it."

Seconds later she read, _**I still don't understand frozen chocolate being hot, bambina, but you all three look beautiful! Enjoy your desserts and kiss the baby for me, both of you. I love you, Nonna xoxox**_

"She still signs her texts," Grace shook her head. "Isn't that adorable?"

"Adorable," Catherine agreed, reaching for Angie as she stood. "Let's stop by the ladies room. Someone needs a change and then we can swing by Sephora before we go home."

"Awesome." Grace shouldered the diaper bag. "I've got this. Let's go." The baby cooed and she took a little hand in hers. "You ready? I'm ready. Your mommy's ready. We're going to Sephora. I'll take you shopping there for lipgloss in about thirteen years. I'll talk to your daddy first …" She gave the baby an exaggerated wink as Catherine settled her in the stroller and she continued to talk as they moved into the mall. "If you just get clear lip gloss, most dads are okay with that …"

* * *

"Oh, wait, I need a picture," Grace laughed and rested a gift box containing two eyeshadows, lipstick, mascara and blush in Angie's grasp. The packaging read _FIRST DATE._ "Hold this for your daddy and Uncle Danno." She arranged her cousin's little hands on the box, snapped several shots and traded the baby her plastic keys for the package before sending a group text to Uncle Steve, Danno, Auntie Cath

"How long?" She asked.

"Ten seconds."

Catherine snorted when their phones dinged twice in rapid succession. Grace's phone read:

Uncle Steve  
 _ **Not for at least 21 years**_

Danno

 _ **Ha! and so it begins**_

Uncle Steve

 _ **No, it doesn't. 21 years.**_

Danno

 _ **We'll see, partner.**_

Uncle Steve

 _ **21 years. Catherine?**_

Auntie Cath

 _ **Maybe 15. We'll talk about it in 14 lol. Love you. Angie said to text "I love you, Daddy."**_

Danno

 _ **And that's how it starts. Beautiful pleading eyes and I love you Daddy's"**_

Grace texted:

 _ **Aww I love you, Danno :). You too, Uncle Steve. And I'll be like 30 when Angie's on her first date, I'll do her makeup!**_

Danno

 _ **Grace, please torture Uncle Steve as much as possible, but do it in a non-group text, because you're killing me with the idea of you being 30.**_

Steve

 _ **Besides, Angie will never need any of that stuff, she's already perfectly beautiful without it like you and your aunt.**_

Grace

 _ **Thanks and awwwww that's so sweet Uncle Steve and it's super romantic you don't think Auntie Cath needs any makeup. I love you both xoxox bye!**_

Uncle Steve

 _ **Bye Gracie, love you.**_

Danno

 _ **He's not sweet, he's trying to fend off an ulcer at the thought of his daughter wearing makeup or ever going on a date.**_

Catherine

 _ **I think you're very sweet, thank you, Steve. Bye, guys.**_

Danno

 _ **Of course you do. He's the luckiest guy on the planet. Grace, I love you. Catherine, kiss my gorgeous Goddaughter. Steve, prepare to stock up on antacids - 15 years goes frighteningly fast, my friend...**_

Grace and Catherine were laughing as the texts stopped.

"I couldn't resist."

"I know. They're so easy, aren't they?" She slipped an arm around her niece and gave her a brief hug as they made their way to the checkout counter.

* * *

 **Mall Center Court**

"I think Kaitlyn will like the the twin lip glosses in the cupcake flavors. And the glitter tube is really pretty."

"She'll be over the moon. Especially since it's from you," Catherine said with a smile. "And that you got Jenna's permission first."

"I asked her at Thanksgiving. I promised clear, no color and she said okay." Grace took the baby and sat on a bench while Catherine arranged the bags in the stroller's undercarriage.

"Angie, you have to keep your socks on," Grace chuckled and lifted the one that had slid to the floor.

Angie grabbed a fistful of her cousin's long hair and said, 'eeeeeaaahh!'

"You're being silly. Are you a silly girl?" She got the baby's hand out of her hair, worked the little red and white polka dot sock back on and tickled her feet. When Angie's eyes shifted up and widened, she followed their path.

Looking up simultaneously, niece and aunt saw the mall Santa passing them on his way for a break. Catherine thought of last year when the very same thing happened and he noted how happy she and Grace looked and commented.

"Hi, Santa," she greeted him with a smile.

"Hello again, ladies. And Look who we have here. Miss Angeline McGarrett. Hello, sweetie." Santa kept his voice soft, not wanting to startle the baby. "You're still being a very good girl," he said and Catherine found herself beaming at her daughter.

"Eeeeeee, ahhhhhh!" Angie's smile grew and Grace grinned. "Say hi, Santa. See, Angie, Santa knows just who you are. Hi, Santa!" When she took one little hand and waved it, Angie kicked her feet happily.

"You know, I can see all the children and I know someone is going to have a very special first Christmas." He smiled. "Bye, bye, honey," he waved. "Mele Kalikimaka, girls!"

"Mele Kalikimaka," they echoed. Smiling at the baby and each other, Catherine and Grace made their way toward the parking lot.

* * *

Steve got in from an early dinner with Cody with enough time to swim with Cammie and work on the car a while before Catherine arrived. When she got home, they bathed Angie and did story time in the rocking chair, with the little one drifting off in Steve's lap halfway through _Pat the Bunny_.

"Tired from another big day at the mall," he said softly as he passed her to Catherine as he stood.

"We saw Santa walking in the mall and he remembered her." She grinned.

"Of course he did. She's obviously the most beautiful baby he's ever seen. How could he not?" His lips curved in a half smile.

"She was also the baby with the largest entourage …" She chuckled before her expression turned more serious.

"What?" He noticed the change.

"Last year Santa saw me and Grace and said we looked so happy he hoped we'd get everything we wanted for Christmas." She cuddled her close and kissed Angie's head.

"And you did," Steve said and smiled knowingly as she placed the baby down for the night.

"I ran my hand over my stomach, I wasn't showing yet," she mused and he wrapped an arm around her waist as they exited Angie's room and moved toward their own. "The light caught my rings."

They stopped a few feet into the bedroom and she turned to place her hands on his shoulders while his wound around her waist.

"I thought at the time, 'I already did.' I had everything I wanted. You. Cammie, our home, family, Angie on the way. I thought, 'best Christmas yet'." She slid her hands up to lace her fingers behind his neck.

Steve swayed them gently and waited, knowing she had more to say.

"And it was. And I thought it's about to get better. I just didn't think it could get _this_ much better. But it did."

He pulled her close and spoke into her hair. "It definitely did."

 _# End thanks for reading_

* * *

 _Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website:_ _ **marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll**_

 _Or in the McRoll in the REAL World community here on fanfiction dot net_ _ **Find us on Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com**_

 _You can join our mailing list by_ _ **emailing us realmcroll at yahoo dot com**_ _with: Add me, please! in the subject line. Or just drop us a line to say hi! We love hearing from our readers._

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